Circuit-controller



AI FI WILLIAMS.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED IUIIE 9, I9I7.

l 350, '75 9 Patented A110. 24, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

ANTHONY E. WILLIAMS, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK., AssIeNOR TO NORTH EAST ELECTRIC COMPANY, vor ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,Y A CORPORATION OT NEW YORK.

` CIRCUIT-CONTROLLER.'y

Specification of Letters lJatcnt. Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application :filed June 9, 1917.y Serial No. 173,838.

To all whom it may Concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTHONY F. VIL- VLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester', in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in yGir- 1 troller such as is commonly employed in connection with electric ignition-apparatus for internal-combustion engines.

The object of theinvention, generally stated, is to producela circuit-controller of simple, compact, reliable n and inexpensive construction.

More specifically,'one object of the invention isto produce aY simple and secure construction embodying, in Vone member, the lever-arm by which the time of operation of the circuit-controller is adjusted, and a part of the means by which the cap or cover of the circuit-controller is removably secured in place; To this end" there is combined, withthe usual housing of the circuitcontroller, a sheet-metalfplate or annulus in which are formedintjegrally both the leverarm above referred to, and the pivot-lugs in which are pivotally mounted the retaining,-v

springs by which the cap is removably secured in place. f

Another object kof theinvention is to provide, in a simple;mannenA for limiting the pivotal movements of, the housing under .the influence of the lever-arm above referred to; and to this end itis proposed to strike' up a stop-lug integral with said lever-arm, or the plate on which. itis gformed, andto provide a stationary stop-member with which said lug co crates.

Anot 1er object of the 'invention'is to provide, in a simple and,convenienomanner, an anchorage for the springby which the movable contact-leveris controlledggand to this end it is proposed to employ an insulating bushing, mounted upon` a binding-post which is located in a kposition convenient for the purpose in question.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a simple and secure support for the adjustable stationary contact-member of the circuit-controller; and to this end it is proposed to employ a sheet-metal member bent into the'peculiar form hereinafter described, and provided with screw-threaded perforatlons to receive the threaded shank on said Contact. n

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a simple and secure construction and arrangement vfor fixing', within the housing of the circuit-controller,a lcasing in which the condenser associated with lthe contactmembers is mounted and inclosed.

Qtherobjects of the invention, and the features of. construction by which they are attained, will be set forth hereinafter, in connection with the description of the illustrated embodiment .of the invention.

In the aecompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuit-controller embodying the .present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the circuit-controller of Fig. 1, withvthe upper portion thereof removed to show the interior structure. .Fig 3 is a partial side-elevation, showing particularly the means for securing the cap orcover of the circuit-controller in place. Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a partial section on the line 5-5 in Fig'Z. Fig. 6 isa partial section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2. i

The invention is villustrated as embodied in' a `,circuit-c'ontroller adapted to control the primary and secondary: circuits of ordinary high-tension ignition-apparatus. The moving parts are inclosedwithina housingfcomprising `a Cup-shaped vsheet-metal member 10, to which is fixed' the upper end of a bearing-sleeve 11. The' drive-shaft 12 of the circuit-controller vr,turns in the bearing-sleeve 11, and is driven'by4 means of ay gear 13 fixed tjo its lowerlendz' f The shaft 12 carries, at itsupper end, a cam 14 whiclrgcope'rates with a follower 15 fixed on Aa contact-lever 16. TheA lever 16 is inclosed within the housing 10 and is mounted, at one end, upon a pivot 17, while its other end carries a contact 18, which copcrates with a stationary contact 19. A tension-spring 2O is attached, at one end, to an arm 21 projecting from the contact-lever 16, this spring acting to maintain the follower 15 constantly in engagement with the cam 14, so that the contact-lever is oscillated, in the usual manner, to engage and disengage the contacts 18 and 19.

One feature of the invention, as stated above, relates to the support for the stationary contact 19. This contact is mounted at the end of a screw-threaded shank 22, and the support comprises a sheet-metal member which is bent to form a U-shaped upright portion 23. The sides of this U-shaped portion have alining screw-threaded perforations which receive the screw-threaded shank 22. The support-member terminates, at its ends, in base-lugs 50, which are fixed to the bottom of the housing 1() and are .insulated therefrom by a sheet of insulating-material E25. T he lugs 50 are fixed in place by insulated rivets Q6, as shown in lfig. 5.

ln addition to the simplicity and inexpensiveness of the construction just described, it has the advantage that by slightly bending the s-shaped portion after the screwthreaded perforations have been formed therein, provision is made for tightening or cramping the support against the threads of the shank 22, whereby accidental rotation of this shank and disturbance of the adjustment of the stationary contact during use is resisted. For additional security a lock-nut 24 may also be threaded upon the shank 22.

Another feature of the invention, as before set forth, resides in the means employed for providing an anchorage for the fixed end of the spring 20. The stationary Contact 19 is connected with external apparatus t-hrough a binding-post 2T, this post being mounted in the wall of the housing l0, but insulated therefrom by an insulating bushing 2S. The binding-post is provided with a flange 29 which engages one end of a connecting-strip 30, the other end of this strip being engaged with one of the baselugs 50 of the support on which the stationary contact is mounted, as shown in Fig. 5. The binding-post is extended inwardly to provide a stud 31, upon which a sleeve 32 of insulating-material is mounted. This sleeve is engaged by the looped end of the spring 20, and in this manner an anchorage for this spring is provided, while at the same time short-circuiting of the movable and stationary contacts through the spring is prevented. The sleeve also constitutes a stop to limitoutward swinging movement of the contact-lever 1G, and to prevent accidental short-circuits which would occur if such outward movement were to result 'in metal-to-metal contact.

The housing of the circuit-controller is closed, at the top, by a removable cap 33, in which the high-tension distributer parts (not shown) are inclosed in the usual manner. This cap has the usual lateral lugs 34, which are engaged by pivoted retainingsprings 35. The timer-housing is provided also with a lever-arm 36, by which it may be turned to vary the time of operation of the circuit-controller in the usual manner.

A feature of the invention, as before set forth, resides in the novel and simple lconstruction by whieh the parts just referred to are to some extent combined. To this end the lever-arm 3G is made of sheet-metal, integral with a plate or annulus 37 which lies against the bottom of the housing 10, being secured thereto in part by the rivets 2G, as shown in Fig. 5. The plate 37 is also provided with lateral extensions 38, each provided with parallel lugs in which are mounted pivots 39 upon which the retaining-springs 35 are mounted. By this arrangement provision is made, in a simple and inexpensive manner, for securing the retaining-springs and the lever-arm to the housing, and the housing itself is reinforced at the bottom and a more secure support provided for the parts which are xed and inclosed within the housing.

The stop for limiting the movement of the arm 36 is provided by shearing an integral lug 40 downwardly from the middle of the lever-arm. On an adjacent stationary part of the ignition-apparatus, which may be the casing 42 in which is inclosed the mechanism not shown)l for driving the gear 13 and the shaft 12, a stop-device to cooperate with the lug 40 is provided. This stop-device is shown as having the form or an upward projection provided with a recess 41 into which the stop lug 40 projects, and by which its movements are restricted.

Associated with the contact-members of the circuit-controller is a condenser 43, which is inclosed in a casing 44 shaped to fit within the housing 10. This casing is secured in place by means constituting a feature of the present invention. Screwthreaded studs 45 are fixed in the lower wall of the casing 44, the heads of these studs being riveted to the wall, as shown in Fig. G. The studs project downwardly through perforations in the housing 1() and the plate 3T, and are secured in place by nuts 47. To prevent the studs from turning whenthe nuts are screwed home, the studs are provided with squared portions 48, and the openings in the bottom of the housing are of corresponding form, as shown in dotted lines in F ig. 2. The studs 45 not only serve to secure the condenser-easing in place, but they also assist the rivets 26 in fixing the plate 37 to the housing.

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit-controller having, in combination, a movable contact-member; a stationary contact-member with a screw-shank; a support, for the stationary contact-member, comprising sheet-metal bent to form a U-shaped body-portion provided with screw-threaded perforations, to receive said screw-shank, and base-lugs at the ends of said bodyportion; and fastening means, for said support, engaging said base-lugs.

2. A circuit-controller having, in combination, a contact-lever; a cam for actuating the lever in one direction; a spring for actuating the lever in the opposite direction; a casing in which the contact-lever is mounted; a binding-post mounted in the wall of the casing; and an insulating bushing mounted on the binding-post and constituting an anchorage for said spring.

3. A circuit-controller having, in combination, a lower housing-member; a removable cap therefor; a plate fixed to the bottom of said housing-member and provided with a plurality of projections extending laterally beyond said housing-member; an retaining-means, for said' cap, attached to said projections.

4f. A circuit controller having, in combi' nation, a housing-member; a contact-carrying member mounted upon said housingmember; a plate located beneath said housing-member and provided with a lateral projection extending beyond said housingmember; a removable cap for the housingmember; retaining-means, for said cap, attached to said projection; and fasteningmeans passing through the housing-member and common to and engaging both saidy contact-carrying member and said plate, to secure them to the housing. 5. A circuit-controller having, in combination, a cup-shaped housing; a removable cap mounted on the housing; a plate fixed to the bottom of the housing and provided with a plurality of integral lateral .projections of which one constitutes a lever-arm 'by which the housing may be turned, other Y lug struck up from the metal at the'middle of said lever-arm; in combination with an adjacent stationary member provided with a recess into which said stop-lug projects and within which its movement is restricted.

7. A circuit-controller comprising a cupshaped housing; a condenser-case located within saidy housing; a stud fixed in the bottom of the condenser-case and`projecting downwardly throu h the bottom of the housing; said stud 4 eing screw-threaded to receive a nut and having a non-circular portion for engagement with lthe housing; the housing being provided, to receive said stud, with a non-circular perforation conforming to and engaging said non-circular portion of the stud to prevent rotation of the stud when the nut is screwed thereon.

ANTHONY F. WILLIAMS. 

